United turning to loan option

[Scottish Mag 3]

Newcastle United have responded to the news that Darren Bent has signed a new four-year contract at Charlton Athletic by widening their search for new strikers to include possible loan deals.

 

With the Magpies needing at least two new strikers before the start of the season and with their main targets either unavailable or not interested in coming to Tyneside, the club's recruitment policy is having to change to reflect a growing urgency to fill the gaping holes in the squad.

 

Bent was arguably the only one of Newcastle's initial striker targets to still be attractive to Glenn Roeder, having let it be known through friends at the club that he favoured a move to the St James's Park.

 

Yet, with no bid from Newcastle forthcoming and with Charlton asking for an inflated £12m for a player who cost them a little over £2m 12 months ago, the England international has used the situation to agree a new lucrative contract with the Addicks.

 

And that has cast fresh doubts over Newcastle's rebuilding plans with their interest in Feyenoord's Dutch international Dirk Kuyt and Tottenham Hotspur's Jermain Defoe apparently cooling and Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy heading for Real Madrid.

 

While neither Roeder nor chairman Freddie Shepherd have made any comment in public about their intended targets, it is understood enquiries have been made about West Ham United's Dean Ashton and German international Miroslav Klose, but neither approach has led to anything concrete.

 

Ashton insisted he was happy at Upton Park yesterday, although in the same statement he also admitted he was "extremely flattered" by Newcastle's interest, while Klose is on holiday having won the Golden Boot as top goalscorer at the World Cup.

 

Roeder, though, has insisted he would rather only sign players with Premiership experience, which would appear to rule out Klose, while the former United centre-half is also looking to sign strikers with pace, which would mean Ashton doesn't fit the bill either.

 

However, with the start of the Premiership season just five weeks away, Roeder may have to make the best of what is on offer, a dose of pragmatism which has also prompted the move towards potential loan signings.

 

Newcastle have already expressed an interest in loaning Chelsea's Shaun Wright-Phillips, but have backed off for the time being because of Chelsea's stipulation that they pay £10m to sign the winger next summer.

 

While a club of Newcastle's stature would prefer to make big-name permanent signings, the loan option is looking like an increasingly attractive one with the likes of Manchester United's exciting young Italian striker Giuseppe Rossi likely to be allowed to leave Old Trafford on a temporary basis this season.

 

Meanwhile, Roeder has appointed Joe Joyce as his successor as Academy manager. The former head of coaching at the Professional Footballers' Association will take over responsibility for the club's youth set-up on September 4.

 

"He fits the bill and I'm confident with Joe in charge of the team that I can leave the Academy in safe hands and let him get on with it," said Roeder.

 

"I will be in touch with him once every couple of weeks to find out what I need to know, but in essence I will just be letting Joe get on with things, and I'm confident the Academy will grow under his leadership.

 

"Developing players is the main aim at any club and that is the main aim at Newcastle United.

 

"We have to make sure that we don't miss out on any youngsters on our doorstep, we don't want a situation where they have to move away to come back."

[Gemmill 34181]

I know this is just journo cobblers and assumptions, but if Roeder liked Bent, and he liked Ashton, and he liked Defoe, then why have we heard nothing about bids being put in for them? Are we waiting for them to turn up at the club and ask us to sign them? We need to be making bids and, with the likes of Bent who supposedly wanted to come here, putting pressure on Charlton to sell him.

 

I know there's an argument that says that things are going on quietly behind closed doors etc, but in today's world that just doesn't happen. We're not hearing anything because not a lot is being done IMO.

[khay 8]

I would take Rossi! But I'm not he is an out and out striker, pretty sure sir alex said he was similar to Scholes.

[Lazarus 0]

I know this is just journo cobblers and assumptions, but if Roeder liked Bent, and he liked Ashton, and he liked Defoe, then why have we heard nothing about bids being put in for them?  Are we waiting for them to turn up at the club and ask us to sign them?  We need to be making bids and, with the likes of Bent who supposedly wanted to come here, putting pressure on Charlton to sell him.

 

I know there's an argument that says that things are going on quietly behind closed doors etc, but in today's world that just doesn't happen.  We're not hearing anything because not a lot is being done IMO.

161957[/snapback]

 

either that or were skint.

[daveytait176 0]

We're probably skint and shepard doesnt want us to know cos then he'll be under pressure to do something about it. I wish he would just stop thinking about himself and start thinking of the club and the fans needs

[Shearergol 0]

I would take Rossi! But I'm not he is an out and out striker, pretty sure sir alex said he was similar to Scholes.

161959[/snapback]

 

I'd take him too, as long as we still signed two other strikers. He's far from what we actually need as a first team player though.

 

Why don't we just get Chopra back and be done with it?

[DavB93 0]

Bet Chopra is kicking himself now, bet he wishes he'd stayed.

[Lazarus 0]

We're probably skint and shepard doesnt want us to know cos then he'll be under pressure to do something about it. I wish he would just stop thinking about himself and start thinking of the club and the fans needs 

161964[/snapback]

 

if you had shares in bt would you give a shite about anything except your dividend?

[Guest Sima]

We're probably skint and shepard doesnt want us to know cos then he'll be under pressure to do something about it. I wish he would just stop thinking about himself and start thinking of the club and the fans needs 

161964[/snapback]

 

if you had shares in bt would you give a shite about anything except your dividend?

161986[/snapback]

 

Quite a silly analogy tbh